Locking device



March 31, 1931. H, T, ANDERSQN 1,798,578

LOCKING DEVICE Filed July 8, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 -H T. ANDERSON.

LOCKING DEVICE Filed July 8. 1929 March 31, 1931.

2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Mar. 31, 1931 .UNITED STATES HARRY T.ANDERSON, OF BUTLER, PENNSYLVANIA LOCKING DEVICE Application filed July8, 1929. Serial No. 376,748.

This invention relates to hopper doors and particularly to lockingdevices therefor.

An object of this invention is to provide for the locking of hopperdoors in response I? to the movement of the doors to their closedposition. I

Another object ofthe invention is to provide a door locking devicethatshall maintain the doors closed until some positive act has beenperformed on the locking device.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a locking devicefor hopper doors which may be unlocked by striking a blow on a latch.

Other objects of the invention will appear to those skilled in the artfrom the following disclosure taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings in which Figure 1 is a partial viewin perspective of a railwaycar having a hopper and door provided with ly'in section, illustrating amodified form ofthe locking device.

In the drawings, hoppers 1 and 2 are shown. These hoppers are mounted orsecured to the bottom cord member 3 of the sides of a freight car. Thehoppers slope downwardly from the sides of the car in accordance withthe usual practice, whereby materials may be dumped upon a railwaytrestle or in any other suitable place, as the case may be. In orderthat the hopper may be closed whenmaterial is to be conveyed by thecars, doors i and are provided for closing the discharge openings of thehoppers (see Fig. 2).

The doors 4 and 5 maybe provided with hinges 6 and 7 by which they arepivotally or swingably suspended from brackets 8 and 9; The brackets 8and 9 are securedto an angle member 11 which in turn may be secured to across ridge 12. The doors 4 and 5 may be secured together in fixedrelation by means of a spreader 13.

In order that the doors 4 and 5 may be locked in position in response tothe movement of the doors to a position in which the opening of thehoppers 1 and 2 will be closed, door locking devices 14 and 15 areprovided. Since the door locking devices 14: and 15 are substantiallysimilar in construction and operation, the door locking device 14 onlywill be described.

The door locking device 14- comprises a latch keeper 16, alatch 17, alatch housing 18, a link 19 and a locking cam 20 pivotally or rotatablysupported by a pin 21 on the latch housing.

The latch keeper 16 maybe secured to the hopper 1 adjacent to theopeningin the hopper. As shown, the latch keeper is provided with an apertureor slot 22 into which the latch 17 may fall or register when the door isswung into its closed position (see Fig. 2).

The latch 17 is disposed for vertical movement with respect to the doorspreader 13 in a guiding sleeve 23. The end of the latch 17 thatregisters with the slot 22 is provided with a relatively long slopingedge or face 24 that is inclined at substantially the same angle as aflange portion 25 of the latchkeeper 16. The flange 25, as shown, leadstowards the slot 22, thereby functioning as a guide. l/Vhen the door isswung into position to close the opening in the hopper, the inclinedface or edge 24: ofthe latch will slide easily upon the flange'25 of'thelatch keeper 16. As the door approaches its closed position, the latch17 will be moved upwardly or vertically with respect'to the latch keeper16, and when the door is in its closed position, the latch will registerwith the slot 22, thereby holding the door in its closed position.

The. latch 17 is provided with a beveled or inclined face 26 thatextends at substantially right angles to the inclined face 23 tofacilitate entering of the latch into the slot 22 with ease. I

In order that the latch 17 may be removed from the slot 22 so that thedoor may be opened, the latch is provided with a flange or iii arm 27that extends outwardly from the car. The latch may be removed from theslot 22 by striking an upwardly directed blow to the flange or arm 27;or it may be removed by prying. A hammer, bar, or other suitableimplement may be employed for this purpose.

As shown, the latch 17 is pivotally connected at one end to a U-shapedportion of the link 19 by means of a bolt or pin 28 extending throughopenings 29 in the arms of the U-shaped portion of the link (see Figs. 3and 4). The other end of the link is pivotally mounted on a pin or boltbetween brackets 31 and 32 of the latch housing. In order to provide forradial movement of the link 19, as it turns on the pin or bolt 30, sothat the latch 17 may be permitted to move freely in a verticaldirection within the sleeve 23, the opening 33 in the link, throughwhich the pin or bolt 30 passes, is made'oval in shape. The major axisof the oval-shaped opening 33 is so disposed as to permit radialmovement of the link.

The operation of the door locking device may best be understood byreference to Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings. In Fig. 1 of the drawing,the doors 4 and 5 are illustrated in their open position. Assuming thatit is desired to close the doors, the doors are swung on their hinges 6and 7 towards the closed position as shown in Fig. 2. As the doorsapproach their closed position, the inclined or beveled face 24 on thelatch 17 will come into contact with thefiange 25 on the latch keeper16. The latch 17 will therefore move vertically in the sleeve 23untilthe door is in the position shown in Fig. 2. \Vhen in thisposition, the latch 17 will engage with or fall into the slot 22 in thelatch keeper. \Vhen the latch has registered with the slot 22, thelocking cam 20 may be turned in a clockwise direction as viewed fromFigs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, to the position shown in Fig. 2. IVhen inthis position, the cam engages the top edge of the link 19 in such amanner that the link cannotbeturned about the pin 30. The latch 17 is,therefore, locked in position andcannot be removed from the slot 22 inthe latch keeper until the cam 20 is turned in a counter-clockwisedirection to the position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Nhen it is desired to open the doors l and 5, the came 20 are turned ina counter-clockavise direction to the position shown in Fig. '1

of the drawings. Then in this position the flanges or arms 27 ofthe'latches 17 may be struck by a hammer or pried in such a manner as tomove them out of the slots 22 in the latch keepers 16. The doors willthen fall open by the action of gravity to the position shown in Fig. 1of the drawings.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, a modification of the lockingdevice shown inFigs. 1 to 5, inclusive, is shown. In this modification, the

link 19 and the latch housing 18 are not employed. The cam 20 may bemounted on a support 34 of substantially L shape, the support beingsecured to the spreader 13. The latch 35 differs slightly from the latch17 shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, in that the latch 35 is providedwith a cam seat 36 for receiving the )eriphery of the cam 20 when in itslatch locing position (see Fig. 6).

\Vhile two forms of the invention have been shown, it is to beunderstood that Various modifications of the door locking devices may bemade without departing from the spirit and the scope of the invention.It is desired, therefore, that only spch limitations be placed on theinvention as are imposed by the prior art and' the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a hopper door locking device, in combination, a hopper, a door forclosing said hopper, said door being biased towards an open position,and means for locking said door in its closed position comprising alatch keeper mounted on the hopper, said latch keeper being providedwith a slot having an inclined flange leading to said slot, a latchmounted on said door, a link pivotally connected to said latch and door,and a cam rotatably supported by said door for engaging said link anddisposed to lock said latch in the slot of the keeper when the door isin its closed position.

2. In a locking device for a door swingably mounted and disposed toclose the discharge opening of a hopper, in combination, a latch keepermounted on the hopper, a support on said door, a latch carriedby saiddoor and disposed to engage said latch keeper when the door is closedfor holding said door in its closed position, a link pivotally connectedto said latch and said support, and a cam rotatably mounted on saidsupport arranged to engage said link for locking said latch in placewhen the door is closed.

3. A locking device for a hopper door com- A prising a latch keeper, alatch for engaging said keeper when the door is actuated to its closedposition, a link connected to said door and latch, and a cam forengaging said link and disposed to lock said latch in door lookingposition in the latch keeper when the door is closed. I 4. A lockingdevice for a hopper door comprising a latch keeper, a latch for engagingsaid keeper when the door is actuated to its closed position, a linkadapted for pivotal connection to said door and latch, and a camrotatably mounted on said door for engaging said link and disposed tolocksaid latch in door locking position in the latch keeper when thedoor is'clos'ed. I

5. In a door locking device for hopper doors, in'combination, a hopperhaving an opening through which materials may be discharged, a doorswingably mounted and disposed to close said opening, a latch keepermounted on said hopper, a latch pivotally mounted on said door andarranged to engage said keeper when the door is closed, a linkconnecting said latch and door, and a cam rotatably mounted on said doorand disposed to engage said link When actuated to one position forlocking said latch in engagement with said latch keeper and forpermitting the disengagement of said latch and keeper when actuated toanother position.

6. A locking device for a hopper door comprising a latch keeper, a latchfor engaging said keeper When the door is in its closed position, andmeans including a link pivotally connecting the door and latch and a camoperable upon said link to lock said latch in its door locking position.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 1st day ofJuly, 1929.

HARRY T. ANDERSON.

